This volume, consisting of translations of nine chapters in the liezhuan 列傳 (arrayed traditions, or “memoirs”, as used in this volume) section of the Shiji, is the seventh publication in this ongoing translation project led by William H. Nienhauser Jr. The first four chapters (Memoirs 53–56) are accounts of various ethnic groups in the border areas of the early Han empire (i.e. Southern Yue 南越, Eastern Yue 東越, Chaoxian 朝鮮 and Southwestern Yi 西南夷). They are followed by a chapter (Memoir 57) on the prominent Han poet Sima Xiangru 司馬相如, who reportedly engaged in the imperial expansion towards the south-west. The following chapter (Memoir 58), about Huainan 淮南 and Hengshan 衡山, one of the accounts of imperial clan members losing their kingdoms, presents an alternative image of Liu An 劉安, who is more widely known for his inclinations towards Daoist traditions. This is followed by a translation of the “Xunli liezhuan” 循吏列傳 (Memoir 59), a chapter suggested to be read in tandem with that about harsh officials (yet to be translated in this series). The last two chapters are about Ji An 汲黯 and Zheng Dangshi 鄭當時, two early Han officials (Memoir 60), and various scholars of the classics (Memoir 61).
The chapters in this volume follow the sequence in the Shiji and deal with different yet somewhat related subject matter. Readers of Memoirs 58 and 60 are frequently referred back to the preceding accounts of Southern Yue and Eastern Yue. And although Gongsun Hong's biography is found in Shiji chapter 112 (see “Memoir 52” in vol. IX in this series), his name pops up repeatedly in different contexts in Memoirs 56, 57, 60 and 61, which complement the information available on this eminent figure. Such compositional features entice the reader to ponder upon the intentions behind the given chapter order of the Shiji.
There is little doubt that “Memoir 57” is the most challenging of the chapters translated in this volume. Well over half of it consists of Sima Xiangru's literary compositions including his rhapsodies, which are notorious for their diction recherché, enigmatic expressions as well as their abundance of botanical, zoological and mineralogical terms. In this translation, the reader is often pointed to previous scholarly renderings, mainly those by Yves Hervouet and David Knechtges. Despite the admirable scholarly effort put into this translation, one might find certain aspects of Hans van Ess's approach puzzling. Let me just point to the way he handles the age-old problem of reading binomes. In a footnote, we are informed that he has “tried to imitate the meaning of some of the characters itself rather than to give tentative meaning for the binomials that is difficult to get” (p. 109, n. 121). Consequently, we get readings derived from constituent elements, e.g. “strive for glory” for the rhyming zhengrong 崢嶸 (p. 107) and “ground and disperse” for the alliterative luli 陸離 (p. 109). However, on some occasions, he seems to disregard his own guidelines and reads binomes such as the alliterative cenci 參差/嵾嵯 as “uneven heights” (pp. 89, 102) and the rhyming xiangyang 襄羊 as “wandering” (p. 114). On the problems regarding rendering constituent parts of binomes, we may refer to Knechtges's review of Hervouet's Le Chapitre 117 du Che-ki in CLEAR 1 (1979). Moreover, though this translation is supposed to represent the rhapsodies as transmitted in the Shiji, sometimes the Wenxuan edition seems to have crept in. For example, on p. 93 the passage 軼野馬而韢騊駼, 乘遺風而射游騏 is divided into four lines, seemingly reflecting the Wenxuan wording where the two 而 are absent.
In terms of the general quality of the translations, this volume adheres to the standard set in this series, providing readers with an abundance of learned notes on alternative readings, cross-references, and parallels (especially to the Hanshu). The translators set out to follow the original text meticulously, with interpolations clearly indicated. Though not published within this series yet, there clearly is a set of standardized translations for some of the crucial words. Given that this is a collaborative project, this approach seems perfectly understandable. Yet, one might be excused for thinking that this somewhat simple standardization occasionally blurs the context-specific semantic shades at play. For example, the pre-verbial nai 乃 tends to be rendered as “only then” even where reading it as a simple temporal or sequential relation, i.e. “thereupon”, “then”, seems perfectly adequate.
Finally, there are some problems regarding editing and general proofreading. On p. 279, n. 68 gives an explanation of the word zhi 治, even though it is absent in the corresponding original passage; zhi in the sense explained in this footnote only appears several pages later. We also observe inconsistencies in the renderings of specific terms that would require at least some clarification regarding the choices made in different passages. To name just two examples, miwu 麋蕪/蘪蕪 is rendered as “rotting of the elaphures” (p. 90) and “deer-parsley” (p. 103); henglan 衡蘭 is “asarum and orchid” (p. 90) and “horizontal orchid” (p. 104). Also, there are quite a few errors regarding romanization and Chinese characters, typos and other editorial slips. Some of these slips could easily have been avoided if only the editor were given the support from the publishers that this series definitely deserves.
Notwithstanding the minor problems mentioned above, this volume is a highly valuable addition to this well-established series. When read against the original text of the Shiji, these translations, the notes, and all the other material provided by the translators and the editor will serve as inspiring points of departure for further explorations in the wider field of Chinese history and literature.
